Monthly Archives:November 2014

Please refer to our previous blog, i.e. Blog No. 31, in which we revisited the first action item for the Panel of Experts from Industry & Academia – to review the curriculum periodically, say once in 2 years, to get rid of “not required”, and introduce “which must be there”.

Let’s revisit the second action item today – to meet periodically, say annually, to leverage the database of the strengths of the Engineering Institutions.

We have a very large number of engineering institutions in our country to support academic programs at different levels, namely Diploma, Graduation, Post-Graduation, Doctorate, and Post-Doctorate levels. These institutions have their individual strengths while with disparity in their infrastructure, and individual growth paths. Let us imagine a system which allows them to be aware of the strengths of them, as well as to leverage the strengths of the “Ecosystem”. What are the benefits of such a system?

(i) It will help the institutions to grow in their areas of improvement.

(ii) It will help create a “Let’s-Help-Ourselves-Ecosystem” with better readiness to take up new support challenges.

(iii) It will help reduce the cost of evolution.

(iv) It will facilitate access to and usage of infrastructure while avoiding a need of setting up another instance.

Besides, let’s also remember the established adage which says that knowledge grows when shared!

There are, of course, likely difficulties in enabling the above (like for, in general, everything good in our lives). Most of them will fade away as the institutions see the benefit of the proposition. We need to set up the required processes to initiate and sustain, which we’ll do with your help and patronage.

Please refer to our previous blog, i.e. Blog No. 30, in which we proposed to revisit the list of action items that the Panel of Experts from Industry & Academia needs to work on with the purpose to bring in better clarity on the scope of each action.

Please refer to our Blog No. 29, in which we have listed the consolidated action items. The first action item is to review the curriculum periodically, say once in 2 years, to get rid of “not required”, and introduce “which must be there”.

Let’s look at the journey of an Engineering Aspirant. He / she with a certain level of expertise in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (with a few other subjects on languages) gets into an Engineering Institution. The subjects that he / she needs to take up at the Institution can be broadly classified into following categories – (a) Basic sciences – e.g. Physics, Chemistry, etc. (b) Basic engineering – Thermodynamics, Engineering Drawing, Workshop, etc. (c) Branch courses specific to each branch of specialization (d) Humanities – e.g. Economics, Foreign Languages, etc. At an Under-Graduate level, the Branch courses typically constitute 50% of all the courses in the Program. Subject to one pursuing higher studies, one takes a few more branch courses, along with working on projects.

When he / she takes up an “engineering job” (being conscious of a good percentage which takes up non-engineering jobs) one has to face an industry which is extremely dynamic. The gap between where one is and where one is expected to be is essentially between what one has been taught (assuming that one has learnt all that he / she has been taught) and what one is expected to know. It is like a flow situation in which a fluid flows from a “Stator” to a “Rotor”, and unless it exits from a “Stator” at an angle that is right for the “Rotor”, there is a chaos resulting in poor overall system efficiency.

In the case of Engineering Education (probably true for other domains as well), we carry forward certain legacy even without worrying over its relevance or usefulness for the life of the Aspirant. Quite naturally it takes the time space that should be devoted for all that is critical and hence absolutely required. Looking at the rate at which the industry updates itself, a time frame of 2 years is proposed for a good repeat “thorough review”.

Please refer to our previous blog, i.e. Blog No. 29, in which we proposed to have the “Diwali Celebrations” continuing to mark our determination to “get more and more light” into engineering. There is one more reason for this – We are into the Action Phase now having gone through 29 blogs of reviewing different aspects, sharing our thoughts, introspection, seeking your wise input and feedback, attempting to consolidate the findings towards identification of clear action items, and, of course, reinforcing our commitment to “just do it” what it may take to achieve what we are set out to (you know)!

We have come to realize the need to create of a Panel of Experts from Industry & Academia to perform a set of actions – which itself need to be reviewed periodically as per Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle.

Who should take the lead in setting up the Panel? “He/she” to whom it matters most – you & us! We’ll do it, after all it’s probably the first step towards where we wish to be!

While we would get started with this, we’ll revisit in the next few blogs the list of action items that the Panel needs to work on in order to have further clarity on them.

As usual, we are ready to welcome your input, feedback, and suggestion – like a most loved-one visiting us!